David Tran owner of Huy Fong Foods the maker of the Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce holds his product during a rally by his supporters prior to a City Council meeting at the Irwindale City hall in Irwindale, Calif., on Wednesday, April 23, 2014.
(Keith Birmingham Pasadena Star-News)

READ MORE

IRWINDALE >> Amid a flock of Sriracha supporters, the City Council Wednesday night delayed its decision to formally adopt a resolution declaring the hot chili sauce factory a public nuisance.

About 100 supporters gathered outside City Hall to protest the council’s decision two weeks ago, which declared the factory a public nuisance because residents complained the fumes from the factory burned their eyes, caused coughing fits and forced them to stay indoors during the fall chili grinding season.

City Attorney Fred Galante said the city is in talks with Huy Fong Foods’ attorney and CEO David Tran to reach a settlement before the resolution is adopted and requested the council table its vote until its next meeting in two weeks.

Tran told reporters after the meeting he won’t do anything until the council tours his factory.

“I don’t do anything because I don’t have any violations,” said Tran. “The councilmen tomorrow visit my plant, or anytime, tell me by their nose, by their eyes, tell me what I need to try, what I need to do, then I will do. If they don’t come, it doesn’t matter two weeks or two months, I don’t do anything.”

Tran said the city forced him to open up his factory to tours.

“Why do you hate me, why do you want to shut me down?” Tran said to the five-member council.

Mayor Mark Breceda, who brought a half-empty bottle of Sriracha sauce to the meeting, said the city doesn’t want to shut the factory down.

“It was never this council’s goal,” said Breceda. “No one wants you here more, Mr. Tran and Huy Fong Foods, than the City Council.”

Breceda said he was confident the city could reach a settlement with Tran before the council’s next meeting.

Advertisement

The resolution will be on the council’s May 7 agenda. Once the council adopts the resolution, it starts the clock on a July 22 deadline by which Huy Fong Foods will have to abate the chili odors.

Tran called the decision disappointing and opened his factory doors to lawmakers who were interested in having his plant relocate to their region. A delegation from Texas is expected to tour the facility in May.

A rally before the meeting was organized with Arturo Alas. a candidate for Congress in the San Gabriel Valley.

Some residents and Huy Fong Foods employees asked the council to kill the resolution.

“There is no plan B,” said resident Fred Barbosa. “There is no source of other income. There will be no other jobs.”

Olympia Morales, who has worked for Huy Fong for nine years, said she believed something more was going on than just the complaints.

“I think you guys already made up your mind and your don’t have the guts to say it right now,” Morales said.

Bob Machuca, of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, said other states are making a mockery of California.

“We need to send a strong message to other states, like Texas, that California is really a good place to grow your business,” said Machuca.

The controversy involving the Sriracha factory began in October, when residents, including Councilman Ortiz’s son, first complained about the odors during the chili grinding season. The South Coast Air Quality Management District has received 61 complaints about the facility, 41 of which came from four households.

The city sought a temporary restraining order in the fall, which would have immediately shut down the facility, but an L.A. County Superior Court judge denied that request.

A judge granted a request from the city for a preliminary injunction and ordered that Huy Fong must shut down any operations that produced the odor.

An attorney for Huy Fong told the City Council the company plans to have a filtration system in place by June 1.